Local boys Dylan O’Neill, Ronan O’Shea and Alex O’Connor had a fantastic week in Limerick at the Kennedy Cup. Kerry beat the Dublin District Schoolboy League (DDSL) 1-0 in yesterday’s final at the University of Limerick.
The first real chance of the game fell to DDSL attacker Callum Thompson, but Kerry goalkeeper Alex O’Connor, who had to stay alert throughout the game, did well to save his shot. Dylan Murphy’s goal just before the break ensured that a new name is on the trophy at the expense of the defending champions. Murphy fired home off the underside of the bar from a Dylan O’Neill corner on the stroke of half-time, moments after James Clarke saw his long-range drive come back off the Kerry bar. Instead of simply holding onto that lead, Kerry pushed forward in the second half in search of a second goal. They were the one’s applying most of the pressure during that period.
The DDSL moved defender Ray O’Sullivan up front in the final five minutes and he managed to get his head to a far-post cross, but O’Connor plucked the ball out of the air. The Kerry defence, which only conceded one goal in the tournament, had heroes in captain David Dineen, Paddy O’Rourke and keeper Alex O’Connor. The cup goes to the Kingdom for the first time ever, and to Munster for the first time since Limerick District won it in 2000.
Kerry Radio update after the final
Video with Brendan Hogan (Facebook)
KERRY (squad):
A O’Connor (Killorglin), R O’Shea (Killorglin), D O’Neill (Killorglin), M Kelliher (Killarney Celtic), D Rogers (Traless Dynamos), J Rusk (St Brendan’s Pk), D Dineen (Killarney Celtic), D Murphy (Mastergeeha), P O’Sullivan (Killarney Celtic), P D’Arcy (Killarney Celtic), R Kelliher (Killarney Celtic), S Vasiu (St Brendan’s Pk), D Lyne (Killarney Celtic), P O’Shea (Mastergeeha), P O’Rourke (St Brendans Pk), C Kane (Camp Juniors), M Lenihan (Killarney Celtic), J Sheehan (St Brendan’s Pk), C Ryan (Killarney Celtic), D McKenna (Listowel Celtic).
